By Paul Jones Sports Editor Overcoming a slow start to the season, the boys basketball team is in prime position to make the district playoffs.”We got off to a little bit of a slow start but we are starting to play a lot better now, so we are trying to make a push here into districts,” Head Coach Steve Schmehl said. Sitting at 10-10, the team has faced some adversity. With the excusal of Jason Rebuck, the Lions lost rebounding and scoring which are key in the type of game they want to play. Guys like senior Kendrick Boyd-Gillespie and junior Ryan Schreckengast had to pick up in those areas. One thing that the average fan might not realize is that the team plays a grueling schedule with many tough opponents. “Basketball in York County has gotten really good in the past six or seven years. I think last three years York County has had the best basketball in district three, so we are competing with the best teams,” Schmehl said. The weather also posed a problem as they lost important practice time. With weather and the challenging schedule combined it makes it even tougher. “The season is so condensed anyway. you get 22 games in really 55 days. With the weather we had more games than practices in the month of January,” Schmehl said. The Lions however do find things to keep their spirits high. “Guys have been doing some dancing after big wins and you have to do that stuff. Obviously everybody wants to win and it’s serious, especially this time of year. There can be a lot of pressure but pressure is only what you put on yourself,” Schmel said. There were also many good things about the season. Junior guard Gary Hunt started the season coming off the bench, but was inserted into the starting lineup in the second game of the season and has played extremely well. “Gary the last six or seven games has been one of our best players, if not our best player. He brings a lot of energy, he can really score the ball, and he is starting to figure out some other things as well,” Schmehl said. While the boys’ season may have been cut short, there is much that the players, coaches, and fans have to look forward to for next year.
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By Paul Jones Sports Editor We no longer live in a society where people who are tall are stared at. Now, if someone who is tall wants to not be seen, they can. If you ask most people about what they think of Ryan Schreckengast, they will tell you the same thing. “He is cool but he doesn’t talk very much,” said junior Noah Pillsbury. That of course does not determine who he really is. “I’m definitely an introvert to the people that don’t know me well,” junior Ryan Schreckengast said. “I’m pretty quiet and shy until you get to know me. I’m loud and always got something to say to my friends.” Outside of his height, there is one thing that makes Ryan different from everybody else. His love for basketball. Whether he’s playing AAU basketball in the spring, training in the fall, or playing for Red Lion Basketball, he is around basketball. However, a love like this does not come out of nowhere. So what exactly did spark his love for basketball? “Definitely my dad,” Schreckengast said. “He used to take me to some games he played in and also took me to see a lot of Red Lion games when I was young.” The one thing that makes him different from any other basketball player is his desire. Before games you will not see an introverted person. You will see a man on a mission and a seriousness that is matched by very few. “I want to win in the worst way in everything that I do,” Schreckengast said. “That competitiveness also pushes me to be a great basketball player. I work on my game almost religiously because I don’t want to be just a good player. I want to be a great player. As for winning, I have to win to feel accomplishment. That’s the sign that all of our hard work has payed off to be great.” Ryan Shreckengast is just another example of why not to judge a book by its cover. If you are his friend, you might see just a playful and quick witted jokester. If you’re his teammate, you will see someone who cares about the game of basketball more than anything else. There are many levels to Ryan Shreckengast. Who knows, there are probably some more that none of us know about. By Paul Jones
Sports Editor Saying the boys team got off to a slow start would be huge understatement. In their tip-off tournament, they played Solanco, a team that the Lions were predicted to defeat. That however, did not stop Solanco from jumping out to a seven point lead at the end of the first quarter. Solanco’s lead at one point got up to 12 in the second quarter, but Red Lion finally got comfortable and took over the game. Junior guard Gary Hunt erupted for a quick ten points in the third that helped propel the team forward. Senior guard Bennett Frey chipped in for 13 points and senior forward Wyatt Tyson led the Lions with 14 points. “Read and react.” That is what assistant coach Zach Bull said the Lions had to in order to be successful in their game against a very good Northeastern team. “Read and react to what Northeastern is doing. It’s going to be a lot faster than the game last night,” Coach Bull said. Northeastern is one of the most talented teams in the county and present many obstacles to the Lions. “We got to find their shooters. They have three really good shooters, we got to identify them and know where they are at,” Coach Bull said. The game started off extremely slow as both teams combined for six points in the first quarter. As the game progressed, Northeastern started to pull away more and more. Red Lion had trouble defending the three ball as Northeastern guard Donovian Maxfield knocked down four three pointers. The game became out of reach for Red Lion in the fourth period as Northeastern outscored the Lions by 14. By Bella McCarey Co-Editor-in-Chief With a 13-10 finish to their 2014-2015 regular and postseason, the boys’ basketball team looks ahead at next season as they say goodbye to their seniors. If anything, the one thing that has been lacking all season long for the Red Lion boys basketball team has been consistency. The team propelled their way into the New Year on a 5-game winning streak, but a dramatic 5-point loss to crosstown rival Dallastown was the first of a 4-game losing streak. Since then, the team has found ways to keep themselves at the top of the PIAA Districts III power rankings, until losing against Spring Grove in the first round of districts 66-55. “Toward the end of the season we all started to come together and just have fun out on the court, while playing hard and to the best of our ability,” junior Bennett Frey said. Putting wins and losses aside, earning a district playoff berth still tasted sweet for the Lions. As far as their formula on the court, the team displayed a balanced force on both sides of the ball. It hasn’t been just one or two players that helped this team along, but a variety. Double digit tallies have been averaged not just from forwards Wyatt Tyson, Jason Rebuck and shooting guard Stone McCreary, but also from point guards Austin Huson and Bennett Frey. It’s been this multi-weapon presence that’s only fueled the Lions’ postseason chances even higher. Not only has the team improved as a whole since last year, despite graduating 1,000-point scorer Mike Fox, but junior Wyatt Tyson, who averaged a 74 percent shooting accuracy from the foul line, cites that individual growth has come a long way on the team as well. “We are doing really good right now and I feel I improved a lot since last year.” Another mild improvement who hasn’t been hard to notice is large-framed power forward Jason Rebuck. Using his 6’3” height to his advantage, Rebuck has brought an intimidation factor and an ability to run the court to get to the rim. With the season now officially over, the team now has time and some chances to reflect on memorable moments from the season. “The highlight of this year was probably taking York High (William Penn) into double overtime in their gym,” Huson said. The boys ended up losing the game 69-75. One of the game’s most cherished moments, however, was senior McCreary turning a field goal attempt into a slam dunk that wowed the crowd. Both Tyson and Frey agree that watching a fellow teammate and friend make himself known as a varsity player was definitely a highlight of the season. “[It] was when Brian Treible scored his first varsity points and the bench went crazy,” Tyson said. Treible made a two-point shot in a game against Greencastle-Antrim, earning him his first scoreboard recognition. Treible posted to Twitter later that night, “Thanks to everyone who cheered me on tonight #998moretogo.” McCreary became a stronger leader as the season progressed, finishing out plays his teammates hand off to him and scoring the most points per game at an average of 16. “This year has been a blessing to me. I love the coaches and especially the players,” McCreary said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team. I’m really gonna miss the guys when I’m gone.” Graduating McCreary, Huson and Skyler Godfrey will be noticeable to the otherwise fairly young team, however the seniors developed a great postseason exit strategy to leave their mark. “Win or go home,” McCreary said. By Taylor Bosley Sports Editor The girls’ basketball team looks back at a season of county playoff eligibility and also a spot in District playoffs. Despite a loss to York Catholic in the first round of the county playoffs, the girls came out of the first round of District Three playoffs with an overtime win against Lebanon, 45-42. As the Lions ended the season and headed into the postseason, Coach Dimoff hoped the girls had a “This is why we play” attitude. Sophomore Kynslee Shepherd is proud of how the girls fought through the adversity they faced these season. “We had a few injuries that set us back but in the end we came out stronger with a lost more experience and confidence,” Shepherd said. Shepherd views these over comings of setbacks faced as a confidence booster for the next season. Another hope of hers is for the team to continue to work together. Courtney Dimoff had an attitude of “We want to continue encouraging each other on and off the floor,” Dimoff said. She liked the encouragement throughout the team this season to have the girls continue to work together throughout the regular season and postseason. The girls finished with a 13-6 record and a win in the first round of District Three playoffs but ultimately fell to number two seed Cumberland Valley. By Bella McCarey Co-Editor-in-Chief After graduating matchup players such as Michael Fox, Evan Miller and Matt Wanbaugh, this years’ seniors are itching to now become leaders on the court. The end of last year saw a shooting-arm injury for Miller and Fox reached the 1,000 points milestone, leaving the program open to possibilities for both success and a changeup of defensive tendencies. “Our outlook for this year is to try to win as many games as possible,” Coach Steve Schmehl said. “These guys are ready to be back and we have some good experience, so it’s just up to them.” Seniors Stone McCreary and Austin Huson are both anxious and excited to be back out there again. One of the biggest strategies the boys plan to execute this year is pushing the ball out and away from their side of the court. “I’d say a lockdown defense is my strongest point,” Huson said. Coach Schmehl agrees stretching the defense is key. “We’ll play hard; and offensively we want to avoid turning the ball over.” Forward McCreary poses a threat with his strong net presence and his agile ability to remain hidden in the corners of the court before sneaking in and scoring three point shots. The starting lineup shows bright potential, especially from juniors Bennett Frey, Wyatt Tyson and 6’3” Jason Rebuck. Frey and Tyson successfully stepped up last year as scorers and guards, adding depth to plays. The experience they gained as young varsity players will be evident during this campaign. The two seniors, are “looking forward to going out with a bang,” according to Huson. “I really like those nights when the gym is just packed,” McCreary said. “Being able to showcase what we’ve got and playing those big games.” The seniors last season helped bring the team to the first round of districts, so the goal remains to go as far into post season as possible. By Ellen Weaver Staff Writer Major sports teams have plenty of them and many college riots have been caused by them; sports fan can be a wild group. So what is Red Lions’ own Rowdies doing to bring enthusiasm to school sporting events? Before the Rowdies were formed, Red Lion had not had any large student sections in years. By using clever theme nights and general team spirit, the Rowdies have been able to bring about a group of students throughout all grades to cheer on Red Lion’s sports teams. Junior Austin Kelly is the unofficial leader of this group. he leads chants, movements, and is in charge of bringing about the general rowdiness of the Rowdies. Many believe the Rowdies are having a positive effect on both the players and students who are participating. “The Rowdies support shows how committed we are to our teams and creates positive energy for our teams to build off of,” Kelly said. “I think the students really enjoy participating in the themes for every game and to get them excited for this season, I will be letting the students vote for school appropriate themes on twitter @TheLionsDome.” Neon Night, Black and Gold, American Night, Hawaii, Christmas, and Camo are just some of the themes the Rowdies have planned for the upcoming basketball season. Jenna Hevner, a senior who participated in many of this seasons football student sections, believes that the Rowdies increase school spirit at athletic events. “It made it more pumped,” Jenna said, “The Rowdies make the teams wanna play better.” |
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